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Langkow, strong first period help Flames topple Sharks

Jan 7, 2009 - 6:55 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Daymond Langkow and the Calgary Flames showed they can play with the NHL's elite.

Langkow netted a pair of goals as the Flames scored three times in the first period and cruised to a 5-2 triumph over the league-leading San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

Curtis Glencross and David Moss recorded a goal and an assist apiece and defenseman Mark Giordano also tallied for Calgary, which improved to 13-3-3 over its last 19 contests.

Rene Bourque notched two assists and Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 26 shots as the Flames gave Mike Keenan his 650th coaching victory.

"It was great. Anytime you have the first-place team coming in, you get up for the game," Glencross said. "It was nice to come through and beat them."

"They embarrassed us in their building (a 6-1 loss on November 13) and we haven't forgotten that," Langkow said. "We came out and had a great start."

Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr noted the importance of beating one of the best teams in the league.

"It was an important game for us because the previous games against Detroit, San Jose and Chicago, we haven't done a very good job - and I think we've been outplayed in the vast majority of those," Regehr said.

"It was a good game for us to see where we were at. Even though they were a little flat in the first period, it's still a great team they've got - a good record, good special teams - so it was nice to win."

Ryane Clowe netted a power-play goal, Mike Grier added a shorthanded tally and Evgeni Nabokov stopped just 14 shots before exiting the contest just 86 seconds into the middle period.

Brian Boucher finished with nine saves for San Jose, which fell to 1-2-3 in its last six away from HP Pavilion.

"There have been some things creeping into our game, more so on the road than at home," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "The evolution of the team and the growth from it has stunted a little bit.

"Again, we have to address some things as a team. As a staff, we have to take that responsibility over the next 48 hours to make sure we're prepared to play in Edmonton (on Friday)."

The Flames began with a flourish, peppering Nabokov with the first 15 shots of the game.

Glencross made good on the 12th one after collecting a loose puck in the neutral zone, skating up the right wing and wristing a shot past Nabokov with 7:31 remaining in the first period.

Langkow doubled the advantage just over four minutes later, deflecting Todd Bertuzzi's centering feed past Nabokov.

"(Langkow) was very consistent for us tonight," Keenan said. "He had good speed, particularly in the neutral zone. I thought that he was very adept at feeding his wingers well. The chemistry certainly between he and Todd... And Rene has done a good job with him, giving some physical support as well as net-front presence, and he has good speed as well.

"Both (Bourque) and Todd are good skaters and have good speed, and Daymond's been able to find them in particular in the neutral zone, which gives us some speed through the neutral zone and backs people off when they see them coming."

Giordano gave Calgary a three-goal bulge nearly two minutes afterward by wristing the puck from just inside the blue line past the thoroughly screened netminder.

Grier recorded San Jose's first shot of the contest - a harmless, sharp-angle attempt with 3:09 remaining in the opening session.

"There's no explaining it, really," Clowe said. "Obviously, there was no surprise. They wanted to come out hard after the last game. They more or less turned the tables on us.

"I don't know if it was more them or half us not ready to play. We didn't even have a forecheck in the first period, let alone a shot."

Langkow notched his 22nd career multi-goal game just 86 seconds into the middle session, giving Nabokov an early trip to the showers in the process.

It was Langkow's 14th tally of the season and fourth in the last three games.

"It feels good, obviously," Langkow said. "I struggled a little earlier in the season, (so) it's just nice to contribute. But we've been playing well as a line, and hopefully we'll continue to do that. We've been getting better as the year progresses."

Clowe's power-play goal and Grier's shorthander nearly four minutes apart in the second period halved the deficit, but Moss scored midway through the third to seal the win.

"I don't know if you can say it was a poor effort. It was really no effort out there," San Jose captain Patrick Marleau said. "It was tough to be part of."